Government Highlights Potential Dangers of Open Windows

A new public information initiative from the Consumer Product Safety Commission takes hot summer weather as a starting point to highlight the potential danger of open windows. It is an admonition Oregon parents should take to heart.

The CPSC reports that an average of eight children aged five or younger are killed each year after falling from windows, and a shocking 3300 per year require emergency room treatment. As the agency notes, many of these deaths and injuries are eminently preventable. CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum used the news release to call for greater parental responsibility. “It takes active supervision on the part of the parent or caregiver, and a device called a window guard,” she said. “Screens are meant to keep bugs out, not kids in.”
Tenenbaum’s comment refers to the fact that a large number of injuries from window falls begin with children leaning on screens. Small children, of course, do now understand that a screen won’t hold their weight. Parents, however, ought to know better and need to be both vigilant and proactive.

In the unfortunate event that a Oregon child is injured falling from a window, contacting a Portland personal injury attorney should be a parent’s top priority once the medical emergency is taken care of. An Oregon injury lawyer with specialized experience in Oregon injuries to minors can examine the circumstances of your tragedy, help determine if someone else’s negligence contributed to your child’s trauma and then fight to hold the responsible parties accountable.